City to get festival complex: Minister

Says State can emerge as a destination for quality cinema

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has promised to allocate land for a festival complex in the city, Minister in charge of the Cinema portfolio K.B. Ganesh Kumar said here on Sunday.

He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 4th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) here on Sunday.

The complex would aim at ‘making film festivals more colourful,' he said.

The Minister said he would hold talks with officials of the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in New Delhi for the requisite funds. Members of Parliament from the southern districts had promised all help to set up the festival complex. “We are committed to it, but funds are a problem,” he said.

The Minister said that the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy should not aim at just organising film festivals. The academy should also be a centre for the study of good cinema. The Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) will take care of screening and other requisite infrastructure. “It should be like two wings of a bird so that good cinema can fly. The State will emerge as a good destination for good cinema,” he said. Mr. Ganesh Kumar said that no new experiments were being done in Malayalam cinema now. “The youth feel that there is no creativity. We have good directors and technicians. But, the quality of cinema is lost once it reaches the movie halls,” he said.

The Minister said that technical courses would be introduced in association with Malayalam satellite channels to train technicians and other personnel. He released the festival newsletter by handing over a copy to KSFDC Managing Director Sanjeeb Patjoshi.

Eminent documentary maker and actor Suhasini Mulay, who was the chief guest, said it was heartening to note that the festival had evolved to this stage with good response from the audience in Kerala who were ‘selective.'

“Documentary films fetch you honour, but not money. That is why I act even now,” she added. Minister for Transport V.S. Sivakunar presided over the function. Mayor K. Chandrika released the festival handbook by handing over a copy to Ms. Mulay. Academy chairman S. Priyadarsan welcomed the gathering. Artistic director Beena Paul Venugopal and Academy secretary Sreekumar spoke. As many as 200 films will be screened.